A Few Thing You Can do to Help Rheumatoid Arthritis
Weight Control and Diet
• Never eat before going to bed
• Take multi-vitamin supplements, calcium and Omega-3
• Eat fish high in Omega-3 such as Mackerel
• Cut down on acidic food stuffs
Help Control Pain with Pharmacy Medications
Simple tasks may be hard to do when your joints hurt. Some self-help devices shown below may aid minimize pain, stress, discomfort and may help you in accomplishing some of your daily tasks.
• Long-handled grabbers to help pick things up
• Sock and shoe sliders to aid with getting dressed
• Braces to help support your knees
• Wrist and Hand Splints
• Large grips for pens, or use those made of rubber, garden tools and any other hand-held objects.
Cold and Hold Treatments
Cold or heat treatments can be used to decrease the pain and increase muscle flexibility when you have rheumatoid arthritis. Cold or heat treatments can be combined with any of the exercises prescribed by your physical therapist.
• It decreases blood flow
• Aids with pain
• Use before any activity
• It will help increases blood flow
• Will help relax your muscles
You can purchase a gel packs that can be kept either cold in your freezer or heated in a normal microwave.
Change Your Lifestyle
• Avoid all impact-loading activities such as jumping, running, etc.
• Reduce any climbing activities such as stairs, climbs, etc.
• Avoid all activity that causes you any prolonged discomfort.
• Practice good posture by standing up straight, and pushing your head back.
• Avoid sitting in low chairs, or those that push your head forward, this will help to reduce stress on your body when sitting down.
How do I Remain Consistent When Doing Exercise?
• Stay in the habit of doing exercises every day.
• Evaluate your progress on a daily chart, over the weeks you and enjoy your success.
• Seek help from a health professional, such as a physio therapist, to help you in setting up an exercise program for you.
• Exercise at the same time each day if possible so it becomes a habit.
Use Medication
A large part of the treatment for rheumatoid arthritis is medication. Many medications and drugs are used for treating rheumatoid arthritis, and they fall into a number of classes and categories.
- BRMs which are Biologic Response Modifiers
- COX-2 Inhibitors
- DMARDs which are Disease-Modifying Anti-Rheumatic Drugs
- Topical medications such as cream, balms, gels, ointments, lotions
- NSAIDs known as Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs
- Pain medications referred to as Analgesics
- Other drugs include treatments used for gout, fibromyalgia, and osteoporosis
- Corticosteroids. Beware long term use will cause other problems such as Osteoporosis
Arthritis can range from an annoyance to chronic. If you require further advice please visit our Rheumatoid Arthritis Forum